To help you take stock of your work as a Peer Writing Tutor and to make sure that you continue to identify what you are doing well and note opportunities for growth, we ask you to reflect each quarter on your work.
Each quarter, you are required to complete a tutoring reflection focused on synchronous tutoring modalities (F2F and ORT) and a tutoring reflection about asynchronous (written feedback). You choose if you want to complete a 
Self-Inquiry based on prompts for both synchronous and asynchronous, complete a 
Self-Observation for both synchronous and asynchronous, or complete a Self-Inquiry for one modality and a Self-Observation for the other.
Self-Inquiry based on prompts for both synchronous and asynchronous, complete a Self-Observation for both synchronous and asynchronous, or complete a Self-Inquiry for one modality and a Self-Observation for the other. 🤔 About Self-Observations
- Self-observations are a meaningful opportunity to consider how your current practices are aligned with our core values and beliefs identify specific ways to affirm or revise your practices as you continue to grow as a tutor.
- The Self-Observation Reflection Form, adapted from the Collaborative Observations reflection form, asks you to look closely at a single appointment and consider in detail how you enact Writing Center best practices in that particular appointment.
- Self-Observations were introduced in January 2025 to provide tutors another option for meaningful reflection on their tutoring in a given quarter. We understand that responding to the same prompts on your tutoring in synchronous and asynchronous appointments each and every quarter you work at the The Writing Center can feel repetitive, so we offer the self-observation and accompanying reflection form as a valuable option to help you to continue to grow as a tutor by examining and articulating your approach to tutoring.
Notes on appointment numbers:
- If you have two or more appointments in a given modality in a given quarter, you may choose to complete a Self-Inquiry or a Self-Observation for that modality in your ePortfolio for that quarter.
- If you have only one appointment in a given modality in a given quarter, you complete a Self-Observation on that one appointment for that modality.
- In rare cases where you have no appointments in a given modality in a given quarter, you do not need to complete a reflection for that modality that quarter; you should document that fact on that modality’s page of your quarterly ePortfolio before submitting.
🪜 Specific Instructions
- Identify an appointment you will use for self-observation. It can be a synchronous or asynchronous appointment, or one of each. You might decide to complete a self-observation of a particular modality before or after an appointment.
Appointments needn’t be particularly ideal or especially challenging though those can be meaningful appointments to think more deeply about. Any appointment can be meaningful for a self-observation as it’s the practice of looking deeply and reflecting that will draw out rich insights.
2. Plan to complete your reflection form.
Reflection may be most valuable when the appointment details are fresh in your mind, especially for a synchronous appointment. Or, you might prefer to revisit an appointment after a bit of time; particularly with asynchronous appointments, you may be able to return to your letter and marginal comments with fresh eyes and still have sufficient recollection of the appointment for meaningful reflection.
- If you have available time in your shift after the appointment, you are welcome to block off 30 minutes to complete the reflection form.
- If you do not have available time in your shift after the appointment to complete your reflection, we suggest blocking off time on your schedule during your next shift.
- Reflect on the appointment and fill out the form.
- The Self-Observation reflection form was adapted from our collaborative observation form. As a reminder, The Collaborative Observations Reflection Form was adapted from a reflective tool by Hall (2017) in his book Around the Texts of Writing Center Work: An Inquiry-based Approach to Tutor Education. While reflecting, maintain a tone of descriptive accuracy and respect for yourself and the writer involved.
- Using the ePortfolio template assigned to you and on the appropriate page of the ePortfolio, upload your completed reflection form.
🔎 Self-Observation Reflection Form
Self-Observation Reflection Form
Name: Current Date: Quarter: Appointment Date: Appointment Time: Writer name: Appointment type: The following are core practices for effective tutoring that have been identified by the Writing Center. Write notes about if and how each practice is utilized i...
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pta2m7z7a-kZYb9EBxieezgpMDxZGeGo8dm8CPtwCis/edit?usp=sharing
- Access the form and make a copy of it.
- File > Make a copy
- Complete the form and save it so that you can access it when needed to insert it into your ePortfolio.
- Add your completed form to your quarterly eportfolio in Digication.
- Upload your form on the ePortfolio page corresponding to the modality of your reflection.
Sample Self-Observation Reflection
Note: Depending when the example was created, the current form may be different than what you see here as we make revisions to further enhance the Self-Observation process and form.
Self-Observation Reflection: Amber C (synchronous)
Self-Observation Reflection: Aidan V (synchronous)
Self-Observation Reflection: Aidan V (asynchronous)
Self-Observation Reflection: Claudia N (asynchronous)